Cape Town faces wet, windy weekend with flood and wind warnings in place

Cape Town residents are in for a cold and soggy weekend, with the South African Weather Service (Saws) issuing yellow level 4 and level 2 warnings for disruptive rain and damaging winds across parts of the Western Cape.

Cold, rain and strong winds

Cape Town itself will see persistent rain and gusty winds throughout the weekend, with temperatures hovering between 11°C and 14°C.

On Saturday, rain showers and light rain are expected throughout the day, accompanied by winds from the west-northwest at speeds of up to 18 km/h.

The rain probability is 80%, with an estimated 10mm of rainfall expected.

Sunday will bring continued showers and cooler air, especially in the afternoon, with winds shifting to west-southwest up to 15 knots.

While the rain probability drops slightly to 60%, another 10mm of rainfall is forecast.

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Yellow-levels warnings

According to Saws, a yellow level 4 warning is in effect over the extreme western parts of the Western Cape.

Disruptive rainfall is expected to lead to flooding of roads and fast-flowing streams over low-lying bridges, posing a risk to both motorists and pedestrians.

“A series of cold fronts are expected to bring scattered to widespread showers and rain over the western parts of the Western Cape from Thursday until Sunday,” Saws said.

The most significant cold front will reach the southwestern Cape by Friday afternoon, where quick and heavy downpours are possible, with another cold front expected on Sunday.

“Four-day rainfall accumulations of 30-60 mm are likely over the south-western parts, reaching 70-90 mm over the mountainous region, with most of the rainfall expected from Friday into Saturday.

“Rain-on-rain together with saturated soils will lead to significant impacts,” it added.

A yellow level 2 warning for damaging winds has also been issued along the coastline between Saldanha Bay and Cape Agulhas and further east, with small vessels and watercraft at risk of capsizing due to rough sea conditions.

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Public urged to take precautions

Saws warned that “very cold, wet and windy conditions are expected over the western and central interior of the Western Cape” and advised small stock farmers to take protective measures for their livestock.

The public are also urged to exercise caution on the roads, avoid crossing flooded bridges or streams and stay up to date with weather alerts.

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